Handcrafting a vibrant Arab world

Great Mosque of Cordoba {Printable}

The Most Magnificent Mosque is a book by Ann Jungman that tells the story of the Great Mosque of Córdoba in Andalusia, Spain. I had found it at a used bookstore on a recent trip to Portland, Oregon.

Today my youngest wasn’t feeling well so we snuggled in bed and I read her the book, based on a true story of 3 mischievous boys. From a review on Publishers Weekly:

Three roguish boys—one Muslim, one Jewish, one Christian—play pranks together in the gardens but are caught by the Caliph, who teaches them a lesson by assigning them to work there. Over the course of their sentence they explore the mosque and agree that it is truly “a house of God.” Many years later, when all three are adults, Christians conquer Cordoba (in a battle scene choreographed like a medieval painting, grand and bloodless), and the Christian king decrees that the mosque must be destroyed. The three friends lobby the king together, speaking on behalf of the city’s three religious populations, and win the day. Ages 4-7.

When we started reading the book, my daughter commented on the dome of the Great Mosque. She noticed in one of the earlier illustrations that is was not round like in the book My First Ramadan, but rather octagonal and pointed. I told her that the location had started as a small Christian temple, but then the Muslims took over the city and created a mosque out of half the building. Then it was converted into a full time mosque before it became a church again.

Because of the combination of the different architecture and religions, the building today stands as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.

Once we finished the story, I decided to give her a coloring page of the Great Mosque to work on in bed. Alas, none existed, so I created my Great Mosque download. Complete with tiled roof and pointed puerta (Spanish for door). She loved that she was able to fold it into a 3D design and use it as a doll house for her peg dolls.

To make your own mosque stand on it’s own: Once you color your mosque, fold it in half lengthwise. Then fold it in half again, open it up so the fold is in the middle. Take each side and fold it towards the point in the middle. Put the sides back. Then flip your mosque over and fold them the same way again. Now open the folds and flatten them down to create points. Place your mosque upright and enjoy.

Please download and enjoy it privately with your children. The image is copy written, so please don’t try to sell it or use it for commercial purposes.